Private sector wants legislation on Rs.2500 wage hike
Trade unions, representing nearly eight million private sector and informal sector workers, are launching an SMS campaign from March 5 until a scheduled rally – possibly accompanied by a token strike – on March 12 demanding the government pay workers the Rs.2500 increase through legislative means.
On Thursday, the involved trade unions (TUs) agreed to submit another letter to the minister requesting a postponement of the Wages Board meeting scheduled from February 29- March 3, Free Trade Zone and General Services employees Union, Joint Secretary, Anton Marcus told the Business Times on Friday.
The TUs have cited the fact that this meeting would be held despite opposition from TUs as well as against the decision reached at the last National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) meeting.
In this regard, an SMS campaign would be launched on March 5 sent to the Prime Minister stating “Rs.2500 neethiyen apita one” in Sinhala and “We want Rs.2500 salary increase by law” in English. Handbills to this effect will be issued at public places on Thursday, Mr. Marcus said.
This campaign would ensure that any worker whether they were members or not of any TU could actively participate to obtain the wage hike, Mr. Marcus explained. A similar campaign was carried out successfully for a wage hike for Board of Investment (BOI) workers, he noted, adding that the board chairman was unable to check his phone later due to the flood of SMS’.
The unions have sought a meeting with Justice and Labour Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa, currently overseas, but have not yet received any response. Mr. Marcus noted that if they were unable to get their voice heard they were hoping to launch a token strike on March 12 as well.
Private sector workers mainly from the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) held a protest on Wednesday demanding an increase in wage allowance by Rs.2500 as proposed in the interim budget under the Sirisena administration.
This protest was the first by the private sector against the new administration as employees were unlikely to receive the Rs.2500 wage hike as proposed in the interim budget with the participation of FTZ and General Services Employees Union and the Inter Companies Union.
Mr. Marcus said that during the NLAC meeting with Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and the Employers Federation Director General Ravi Peiris, the TUs had insisted on the minister to bring in legislation to provide the Rs.2500 as budgetary relief allowance.
At this point however, Mr. Peiris had objected to this stating that these discussions could be addressed through the wages board.
Mr. Marcus pointed out that the wages board had capacity to increase only minimum wages of new entrants.
Minister Senaratne had proposed a 15-35 per cent increase in the wages that could be looked at through representations in the manufacturing, service and plantation sectors under the Wages Board.
This was rejected by the TUs since this would only mean an increase in the minimum wages and in the meantime, Mr. Marcus said, adding that the Labour Ministry has scheduled the Wages Board meetings.
The TUs have also organised awareness seminars at the Ratmalana Industrial Zone, Ekala on February 27 and at Biyagama